Ive booked a flying lesson

[ChrisLynch]

Ive booked it. Anna bought me a flying lesson when we got engaged back in June but up until now ive been to chicken to book it. It was about to expire so I rang up and they have me booked in for this Sunday:shocked . The idea is if I know a bit more about flying I will not be such a bad passenger. I am a bit nervous but in some ways I feel safer because I will be at the controls madness I know.

I will let you all know how I get on.

Chris

[spleisher]

Chris,

As you probably know by now, that's what I did. You'll have a great time. I've been an advocate of that approach fora while now and I can't wait to see how it works out for you.

Enjoy!
Scott
:airplane

[ChrisLynch]

Lets hope I make it on to the plane the hardest bit is gonna be shutting the door.

Chris

[spleisher]

No big deal... You won't feel so enclosed in a GA plane.. Trust me on this one. If you crash and die you can come back and haunt me. I'm betting against it though! You'll have fun!!

[spleisher]

Just none of this... :fart .. better to keep the instructor conscious on the first lesson.

Scott

[beaugest]

Chris---:woohoo good for you. I'm impressed!!!

[invert29]

Chris,

I think somewhere in the back of my mind that this is the ultimate goal for me too. I think it is great you are taking this step. Congrats and let us know how it goes!

[noflyingfan]

I did the lesson thing, and it helped. (I just took one lesson, though, because that's all I could get for free).

If you let your instructor know you're a nervous flyer, he'll probably go easy on you. Mine was great; he said all I had to do was say the word, and we'd land.

Don't feel pressured to take the controls the first time out. Give it time; just enjoy yourself.

[xiknal]

Hey Chris,

Shutting the door on a GA plane is not hard at all, because, unlike on an airliner, you can just open it again. And close it and open it again. :nod

Of course you want your instructor to know that you are taking this flight in order to work on your fear of flying (find an instructor who is sympathetic), and, knowing that, that person will have a lot of ways of building your confidence and allowing you to take small bites. You can taxi for a while without taking off. At uncontrolled fields, with a long enough runway, you can start the takeoff roll, then chop power and slow down and taxi off the runway. You can take off, do one circuit in the traffic pattern, and come back to mother earth again. And you can get a good hands-on education about the flight controls, the instrument panel, and basic aerodynamics.

I have done this for a number of nervous fliers who really didn't want to learn to fly. Most said it helped them a lot.

Please give us a flight report, and bravo to you for deciding to do it!! :thumbsup

Barb

[spiffyone]

How EXCITING!!

You have to send us a note as soon as you are done :hamster

Several friends (who know what a control freak I am) have advised me to do this as a way to get over my fear. No luck yet, but I do think about it from time to time.

spiff:handglide

[ChrisLynch]

Its on sunday so Sunday night I will try and get a trip report done. Getting a little nervous now but it will not be my first time in a little plane. Before my fear I went up in a microlight with my uncle, that was around 13years ago and was my first ever flight.

Chris

[Passenger Mark]

Chris,

I think this is great! And as I have met your pilot... I know you will be in good hands!

Sunday night huh... so that will be around 10-11 am my time. Will keep you in mind, and will look forward to that report!

Mark

[UGoMomE]

Hi Chris,
I just went up on a discovery flight with my husband's flight instructor/owner 2 weeks ago. The instructor was surprised that I'd go up in a 2 seater and not step on a big jet. She was very supportive and understood completely about my fear. She put me in the "pilot seat" on the plane. When I was driving to the airport, my (anticipation) anxiety was the greatest. The weather was cloudy, rainy, windy and at many moments I almost turned around and went home. We had a good talk in her office before our flight. We got into the plane and she let me know step by step the procedures for getting our aircraft off the ground. She flew completely instruments since the weather was terrible. In the air I could not see the ground or air, it can be very disorienting. We encountered turbulence, rain, etc. What impressed me the most was when she took her hands off the yoke, looked at me and said "the plane by design is so stable I can let my hands off the controls and we're fine." I can't express how that experience helps immensely in coping with the fear. Once I was up and flying I probably felt what pilots do feel..the beautiful experience of flying. I'd recommend if you have strong control issues, go up in a smaller aircraft where you can sit in the cockpit and be part of the TOTAL EXPERIENCE. Kudos to you for taking a giant step! :woohoo

[Disney fan]

Chris,

That is great news, can't wait to see how you get on!

Are you taking your lessons over in Birmingham or coming over here to Manchester with aunt Joan????

What happened to Joan?? I thought she said she was going to visit us here on the board ?? Such a nice lady!


Lynda

[ChrisLynch]

Hi guys my lesson got canceled due to weather so I am re-booking it. I will let you know how I get on.

Joan is very busy with work at the moment, I told her about the other board because this one was not in use. I will email her the URL for this one and get her to join up.

I am flying from Tatenhill which is north of Birmingham near Burton on trent.

Chris

[xiknal]

Chris, too bad about the weather, but that's one of the bugaboos we live with in aviation. You will get your sweet ride in a little plane soon! I hope it goes wonderfully. :banana

Barb

[ChrisLynch]

Ive re-booked it for this Sunday at 10.30 :) hoping for some better weather.

Chris

[MarcoAviator]

Chris, my wife bought me a flight lesson to help me get over the fear of flight about 2 years ago (gosh I can't believe it's that long).

Now, while I am still scared of flying airliners (yeah, big surprise) I am a pilot, I own my own plane (a piper) and I fly regularly.

This is the story of my first flight (or Discovery flight):

www.thepilotlounge.com/sc...wtopic=434 (http://www.thepilotlounge.com/scripts/forums/index.php?showtopic=434)

You are bringing back memories of my sleepless nights before my discovery flight ... :fly